Category Archives: Photography

I’ve moved into a new role in the wider wedding world. A couple years ago, I didn’t understand wedding photography at all — the hard work that goes into preparing for a wedding, the long hours that go into postprocessing after a wedding, the sheer excitement of capturing just the right shot that showcases a couple’s uninhibited love.

I don’t usually do this, but I simply must post a link to the photos from Steph & Rob’s New Year’s Eve wedding. A favorite guilty pleasure of mine is perusing wedding photographer’s websites (frequently while I should be getting productive things done!), and I always like seeing friends’ photos.

The photos from Steph and Rob’s wedding, shot by iDropPhoto out of Fresno, CA, made me really happy! I hope you enjoy the unique details and great photography skills as much as I did.

Looking back, having engagement pictures taken -- and at locations filled with memories from our dating days -- was invaluable.

One of the most fun parts of my engagement was the photo shoot we had, about six weeks after Danny popped the question. We trooped around town with our photographer/friend Mark, posing for shots at the park where we went on our first date, a lush tropical garden we visited on another date, and at the beach where we spent many an evening in deep conversation.

The results are lifelong keepsakes, preserved in picture frames and in our wedding day guest book. (And of course on Facebook, where I peruse them at least once a month!)

If you’re engaged and considering having engagement pictures taken, stop considering — and just do it! As long as you don’t pay an outrageous price for the photographer’s services, you certainly won’t regret it. Sure, these aren’t the pictures of your big day, but they’re pictures capturing your excitement for that upcoming day, your enthusiasm for one another, and quite possibly, chronicling your personal love story through the backdrops that played an important role in your relationship.

The majority of my friends had engagement sessions. Those that didn’t wish they had.

You can make your engagement pictures as casual as simply handing your digital camera to a trusty friend, or as formal as staging elaborate shots in a studio or in dramatic locations, complete with costume changes and props. We took the more normal middle ground: hitting some scenic spots around town with a professional who happened to be a friend. But if you’re still undecided, or just lacking in inspiration, check out a few of these photographers’ websites. Glance through a few galleries from just a few photographers around the country, and I’m willing to bet you’ll be sold, too!